Arnolfo di Cambio (12401300/10)

Italian medieval sculptor and architect,
Arnolfo di Cambio designed several monuments which became the model for
Gothic funerary art. He became one of the foremost architects of
his era, designing some of the most beautiful buildings of Florence which
still exist today, including Florence
Cathedral (construction began 1296). Di Cambio's architectural style
embodies the transition from late Gothic
art to the more classical Renaissance style. His most famous works
of Gothic sculpture include his monument
to Cardinal de Braye, and a bronze statue of St Peter at St Peters Basilica
(1300).

Early Life

Born in Colle Val d'Elsa, Tuscany, little
is known of di Cambio's life except that he learned the art
of sculpture from the famous sculptor Nicola
Pisano. He was in fact chief assistant to Pisano on the famous Siena
Cathedral pulpit (126568), and worked alongside Nicola's son Giovanni
Pisano.

Trained in Romanesque
sculpture, Nicola Pisano was a classicist by nature but moved towards
a Gothic style, a style
which both his son, Giovanni and di Cambio would develop further in their
own way. Di Cambio also studied painting under Cimabue
(whose other student, Giotto,
would go on to become one of the greatest artists of the Italian Renaissance).

BEST WORKS OF SCULPTURE
For a list of the world's top 100
3-D artworks, by the best sculptors
in the history of art, see:Greatest Sculptures Ever.

EVOLUTION OF SCULPTURE
For details of the origins and
development of the plastic arts
see: History of Sculpture.

Tomb of Cardinal Riccardo Annibaldi

Very soon after working on the Siena pulpit,
di Cambio was called to Rome, as a protege of King Charles I, to work
on creating a tomb of Cardinal Riccardo Annibaldi, at the Basilica of
St. John Lateran (also known as the Church of San Giovanni in Laterano).
The tomb is accessible today via the entrance to the cloisters, which
is at the end of the left aisle near the transept. This was the first
of many commissions di Cambio would receive.

Other Sculpture by Arnolfo di Cambio

Around the same time he also decorated
the tomb of Pope Adrian V, found in the Church of San Francesco, Viterbo
(Lazio region of central Italy). In 1281 he executed a fountain at Perugia
'Griffin and Lion'. The fountain no longer exists but five marble sculptures
do survive and can be seen in the National Gallery of Umbria. The museum
recently commemorated the 700th year of the sculptors death by reconstructing
the fountain.

In 1282 di Cambio constructed a monument
to Cardinal de Braye (who died that year), which was placed in the
church of Saint Domenico, Orvieto. The tomb has in later years been taken
out of its original Gothic tabernacle (recess), and so has lost something
in the process. Despite this, it is still a vibrant piece of sculpture.
The Cardinal is enthroned on top by Madonna (depicted in Classical goddess
pose), and flanked on the sides by two saints who present the kneeling
cardinal to the Virgin. This is funeral portrait, taken from the French
tradition where the deceased is still shown alive. It was acclaimed in
di Cambio's time, and seen as a model for Gothic funerary art.

He went on to design the altar canopies
for San Paolo Fuori le Mura (1285) and Santa Cecilia in Trastevere (1293).
In Rome di Cambio came into contact with Cosmatesque art which is a style
of geometric mosaic art typical of Medieval
Italy and this influence can be seen in the polychrome glass decorations
of the canopies. During this period, he also worked on the presepio of
Santa Maria Maggiore and on the funeral monument of Pope Boniface VIII
(1300). Only fragments remain of the pope's tomb and they are kept in
the Vatican. Some scholars believe that di Cambio also created the famous
bronze statue of St Peter in St Peters Basilica (1300), while others
believe it is only a 5th century casting. In this iconic work of Christian
art, Saint Peter is portrayed as giving his blessing and preaching,
while holding the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven. His right foot is literally
worn down from centuries of worshippers who kiss and touch it.

Di Cambio is equally famous for his architectural
achievements. In 1296 he was charged with the construction of the Cathedral
in Florence (1296 to 1462). It is also believed that he was involved in
the design of other major buildings in the city, including the Baptistery,
the Church of Santa Croce, and the Palazzo Vecchio. The structural and
decorative elements of Santa Croce in particular, demonstrate a unity,
balance and lightness of movement that shows di Cambio's complete mastery
of 13th-century Gothic architecture. The Medieval biographer Giorgio
Vasari included a biography of di Cambio in his Lives of the Artists,
and in this biography he attributed di Cambio with executing the urban
plan of the new city of San Giovanni Valdarno. In any event, the monumental
character of di Cambio's architecture and sculpture has left its mark
on the appearance of Florence.

 For the history and types of sculpture,
see: Homepage.
 For the evolution and development of the visual arts, see: History
of Art.